Always Beginning Now
by RedSharpie
Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a friend from the past to help you move forward. Ralphiecentric. Mild language and excessive cheesiness.


**Author's Note:** Lulz, hai, I'm alives!  
If any of you remember me…I'd be flattered!  
But anyhowwww, I've been feeling really crappy all day and so decided to lie down with some saltine crackers and watch (what else?) _Inside Ralphie_, one of the few MSB episodes that I have on DVD. It made me decide that I totally adore Ralphie and my brain was all LAWL FIC for the first time since the dinosaurs died out and so...here we are.  
I totes yanked the title from a quote by Mark Strand.  
_The future is always beginning now._

**Warnings:** There's some mild cursing and excessive cheesiness.

* * *

**Always Beginning Now**

Ralphie's hazel eyes struggled to stay open as he stared at the jumble of words that his biology book had to offer. Why, seriously, _why_ did he choose biology over chemistry? It had made sense to him at the time, but after going to bed at 1:00 in the morning every night since nearly the beginning of his junior year, he saw that it was possibly his biggest mistake ever.

He finally gave up with a sigh and reached for his cellular phone. Scrolling down his contact's list until he got to _Smartest Girl Ever (Bitch!!)_ (Dorothy Ann had put her own number into his phone,Wanda had later gotten to it, and Ralphie was too lazy to change it), he pressed the green "call" button and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" an exasperated voice greeted from the other end after the third ring.

"DA...I need your help," Ralphie said in his most desperate tone of voice.

"Ralphie, I seriously don't have any time...it's already nearly eight o'clock and I've yet to do my whole AP Math Internal Assessment Project _and_ my English paper about The Great Gatsby and, jeez...sorry, bud, but no help is available tonight."

There was an audible click and Ralphie decided that maybe he wouldn't end up changing how DA was listed in his cell phone.

"Whatever, " He grumbled to absolutely no one.

All the stress from his "most important year!" was seriously getting to him. Not only did he have SATs coming up in ass-number of weeks, he also was struggling to keep his grades up in a few of his classes. He often felt as if, to be cliché, the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Ralphie walked out of his room and down the stairs. Stuffing his feet into an old pair of tennis shoes, he grabbed the keys to his car from the end table near the front door and decided that the sound of the door shutting would be sufficient notice to his Grandpa that he was going out for a while.

The slight chill in the newly-Spring air woke the 16-year-old up a bit as he started his car (see also; piece of junk). He headed toward his favorite, nondescript internet café that was only about a ten minute drive from his house. He hadn't been there in quite a while, as school was taking over his young life, but the dim lights coming from the large, glass windows of the coffee house were an immediate comfort to Ralphie as he pulled into a parking space. When he opened the familiar door and the little bell made its same, old _ding_ sound, he breathed for what felt like the first time in months.

Ralphie ordered his usual drink (some fancy-schmancy caramel-whipped-mocha-whatthehellever that tasted like coconut cream pie to him) and took a seat at a table in the corner of the small shop. The warm drink washed over his tongue and burnt his taste buds a bit, but it tasted delicious. It reminded him of earlier days when responsibility slid off of his shoulders like droplets of rain water, tiny and insignificant. He knew that he was still so young, and a lot more was coming his way, but that only made him want to panic and find the pause button on the stupid remote control of his life. He set the still-nearly full cup on the well-worn wooden table and stared out of the window for a while as he sat in deep thought.

He hadn't noticed when she came in, when she'd ordered her drink, or even when she'd sat down at the table right next to his, but when he was finally awoken from his trance, he took a quick glance to his right and saw a frizzy bun of bright red hair piled atop a head bent over a stack of papers. Her cup of coffee remained untouched and Ralphie had to do a double-take to actually realize who the woman was.

"Ms. Frizzle?" The words left his lips before he could stop them.

He hadn't seen his old elementary school teacher in quite a number of years, and never expected to run into her at his favorite café.

The quirky woman looked up and smiled in recognition. Ralphie immediately remembered the face but she didn't seem as _alive_ as she always used to be. Fine wrinkles framed her eyes and lips. Dark circles rimmed under her eyes and Ralphie hadn't remembered her like that. Ms. Valerie Frizzle didn't have wrinkles or dark circles. Ms. Frizzle was _magic_. Ms. Frizzle didn't get _old_. She couldn't.

"Ralphie," She cooed "How have you been?"

"I...I'm fine, Ms. Frizzle...how about yourself?"

"Oh, I'm all right," Her less-than-sparkling eyes said otherwise. "It's been so long, Ralphie."

"Yeah...you're still teaching at Walkerville Elementary, right?" _Please say yes. Please say yes._

Her weak smile faltered even more and she nodded. Ralphie felt a small moment of relief.

"But I don't know for how much longer. I'm thinking about leaving after this year. Taking a small break."

Something in her voice told Ralphie that "a small break" was a bit of an underexaggeration. The panic of...something rose in Ralphie's throat again and he stood up quickly.

"You can't!" He nearly shouted. The employee behind the counter and Ms. Frizzle both gave him matching looks of confusion and he sat down with an embarrassed smile. "What I mean to say is...you shouldn't. You're an amazing teacher, Ms. Frizzle.The best."

"Well, I'm very flattered you think so, Ralphie, but I just think that it's time..."

"No, no, Ms. Frizzle, you don't understand. You _can't_ stop teaching. At least, I can't _know_ if you stop teaching. That's...it's impossible! In fact, it's outright ridiculous. You _were_ my childhood. Your class provided me with more memories than everything else in my life combined. You've always been some sort of...constant with me, even if I haven't seen you in so many years. If you're not teaching then I'm not...I mean...I don't..." Ralphie's words trailed off without an ending. He realized that he had just been rambling about what could have been the most stupid thing in the universe. Ms. Frizzle probably thought he was ten kinds of crazy. He had no place telling her what she could and could not do. She was a grown woman and made her own decisions.

To Ralphie's surprise, the woman did not look angered or upset at all. Just sympathetic.

She sighed lightly.

"Oh, Ralphie, " She began and unshed tears gleamed in her eyes. _Stop it! _Ralphie wanted to scream out. _Stop! Ms. Frizzle does not cry! Ever!_ "You can't rely on me to be a constant in your life. You're growing up and I'm...growing older. We both need to be doing what is best for our own lives."

"I know," the boy sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry about that rant. I just...don't stop teaching, Ms. Frizzle. You and your teaching...it changes the world. I promise. That's not a lie."

Ralphie got up to leave, feeling that he had said enough as it were, but was stopped when Ms. Frizzle called out his name. She looked significantly perked up and Ralphie thought that he even saw that old twinkle of magic in her bright eyes.

"Thank you," was all she said. "And, stop worrying so much about growing up, Ralphie. Just soak in the present times as they are today and keep things fondly in your heart. It's quite bad to muddle in the past for too long."

Ralphie grinned, really grinned, and gave a short wave to the woman. He dropped his still-nearly-full cardboard cup in the trashcan on the way out of the door and smiled all the way to his car. He felt like his step was a little bit lighter and took one last glance at the smiling red-headed woman as he entered his car. She was happily drumming her fingers on the table and, Ralphie could tell just by looking, humming a happy tune.

The teenager started his car and pulled out of the parking lot, onto the road ahead. He decided that he would take the long way home, enjoy the scenery, and let the ride linger for just a little bit longer.

* * *

Awww...yeah, I love Ralphie with all my little heart and I wanted some Friz in my life, so I wrote this. Also, I was reflecting back on the stress that high school offered me in past years. Glad I'm past that crap. Sorry if it's not all that you wanted for my comeback peice, but hey! At least I churned out something, right? Right? Okay... 

Please review. It would be much appreciated.


End file.
